ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · craft · toast · plane · band · last · safe · pitch

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. last — final
  9. craft — a skill
  10. last — to go on
  11. craft — boats
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. field — a subject
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. field — for sport
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pitch — completely
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. field — farmland
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. last — finally
  24. toast — bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com